Clarity's Insights on Syria and Iran Published in Lawfare
- Clarity
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
Clarity Co-Founder Claire O’Neill McCleskey and Clarity Chief of Staff Naomi Maxwell co-wrote an article for Lawfare with former OFAC Chief Counsel and partner at Jenner & Block Rachel Alpert on Syria entitled: Takeaways for Iran a Year After the Syria Sanctions Rollback. In the article, the authors explore the state of play in Syria one year after the United States terminated comprehensive sanctions and offer lessons in the “difficulties of genuine sanctions removal” as President Trump contemplates terminating all U.S. sanctions on Iran.
On the Role of Congress: “Both chambers are full of Iran skeptics across both parties, meaning the Trump Administration would face difficulty unwinding the “web of statutes with mandatory sanctions."
On the Threat of Snapback: “It is simply too risky to make loans or investments in major infrastructure projects based on temporary sanctions waivers when projects require multi-year or even multi-decade capital commitments.”
On SST Overhang and the IRGC: “Because the IRGC is deeply embedded across Iran’s economy—from energy and construction to telecommunications—that exposure is difficult to avoid in practice, and it will continue to deter investment even if broader sanctions are lifted.”
On the Importance of Banking Channels: “Syria’s reintegration into the international financial system has remained slow,” and Iran lacks “banking relationships that underpin cross-border trade.”
Claire M. also spoke on this topic on the Lloyd’s List Shipping Podcast: “The MOU contemplated a full termination of sanctions on Iran. That is not possible to do on a short timeline.” She explained that Syria had decisive regime change and it still took 18 months to unwind major components of the Syria sanctions program, and the Trump Administration was trying to move fast.